JamesHerbert managed to clear his head of the surprise attack and raised his head. When he saw Andy, his eyes widened, though no one was sure what his expression meant. Shocked surprise?“Andy? Fuck!” he muttered. “You’re really Andy? Fuck! Look at you!” He came charging forward, which took Andy by surprise. “I’ve been searching all over for you.” He laughed out insanely. “Come back to me, Andy. I want you. Fuck, I want you both back. Uncle will take care of you both.”Andy was sickened at Herbert’s words. What the hell is this man going on about? He was mental; that was for sure.The way Herbert seemed rather pleased to see Andy and wanted to embrace the boy in his sick, twisted way paralyzed Andy in his spot. He felt he was that young boy again, trapped in fear and anxiety of the tyrant uncle who had bullied, molested, and raped him.Before Herbert got ahold of Andy, Matt smoothly stepped in front of the boy. Herbert came to a complete stop as Matt’s fist flew into the man’s face.
MiaI was cuddled securely in Andy’s arms when the sound of a gunshot echoed from the distance, which was followed by this dreadful silence descending upon us. I knew instantly that James had shot Herbert Weston dead, and without a doubt, I felt relief. I knew it was inappropriate to have this sort of feeling when a man’s life was taken from this earth, despite the fact that man had caused so much pain, but I couldn’t help it.Herbert Weston was dead, after all. The man who had tormented us was gone forever. He could no longer hunt us down and hurt us, and God, I felt that was a blessing.I clung to Andy tighter as he, too, tightened his arms around me. I felt we were comforting each other after all we had been through together. Of course, I didn’t know how Andy felt about Herbert finally being dead.Is he feeling this same sense of relief? He was free from this dark evilness that kept chasing after him no matter where he went.I didn’t know, and I raised my gaze to his. When I saw t
MiaThe next time I came fully conscious, it was to a rattling noise near me. I groaned and slowly fluttered my eyes open. The moment bright lights greeted me, I squeezed my eyes shut again.“How are you doing, love?” A female voice came my way. I felt a warm hand about my shoulder as the woman continued. “Is there anything I can get you? Water? Tea? Coffee?”I nodded with my eyes still shut. “Wa-water,” I managed to articulate, my throat dry and scratchy. It hurt.“Sure,” the woman said. “Just hold on a second.”As I heard her footsteps moving away, I tried opening my eyes once again, and this time, I got used to the bright light that shone into the room.With my vision still a little blurry, I searched about the place, wondering how long I had been asleep.When the woman returned with a glass of water, I asked, “How long?”She helped me sit up and then guided the glass of water toward my lips.She must have understood my question because she said, “You’ve been in and out of consciou
MiaI snuggled myself into a comfortable position, intending to take another nap.Suddenly, I felt this sense of happiness, and I honestly didn’t know why. I mean, considering what I had recently been through with the kidnapping, beating, and near rape, I shouldn’t feel bright and cheerful like this. Perhaps it was the thought of James and that I instinctively knew he’d come to be by my side tonight. I started giggling.Yes, I giggled like a schoolgirl.“Sounds like you’re having a good time being cooped up in the hospital,” came a manly voice.The moment I heard that deep timbre, my heart raced and I felt overjoyed. So much so that I wanted to burst out crying.I turned my head, and the sight of James standing not too far away nearly broke me down. I somehow managed to hold in my emotions and greeted him with a, “Hi.”He came over to sit on the side of the bed. “Hi there, sweetheart. I came as soon as Nancy contacted me.”So Nancy the nurse had phoned him when I woke, and he must hav
JamesWhen James came in through the door after a long day at the office and headed toward Mia’s bed in the hospital that night, he found her deep in slumber. Standing by her side, he gazed at her long and hard, noting the bruises on her beautiful face. Fuck! He wanted those unsightly marks gone as soon as possible. The sight of them reminded him of Herbert Weston and what the bastard had done to Mia, and once again, he felt rage erupting in his being.For perhaps the hundredth time, he swore nothing like that would ever happen to Mia again. He’d protect her. He’d cherish her.For now, she looked peaceful in her sleep, but he knew it wouldn’t last long. Soon, it would start, the nightmare, as it had the past three nights. She’d start crying and screaming and begging in her sleep as that terrifying episode of her kidnapping returned to haunt her. She’d scream for Herbert Weston to let her go. She’d beg for him to stop hurting her, and fuck, but the sheer fear and panic in her voice bro
MiaWhen I woke, my hands were resting on the empty space on the side of my bed, and I wondered why it felt so warm, as if someone had been there only moments before. I shifted my body and then inhaled deeply. The scent that was unique to James caressed my nostrils, and I smiled.He had been here, hadn’t he? Sleeping next to me. My heart soared at the thought, though at the same time, I was a little disappointed that he didn’t wake me when he had arrived. We could have had a little chat and kiss.“Good morning.” A nurse I didn’t recognize greeted me as she came into the room. “How are you feeling this morning, love?”I gave her a bright smile, my lips and mouth a little sore in the process. Obviously, my wounds had not yet healed properly. “I’m good. A little pain, but it’s fine.”“That’s good,” she said, grinning brightly. Then she came over to stand at the end of the bed and picked up my medical record. She quickly scanned over the documents, and a moment later, looking rather satis
MiaWhen I woke again, I felt a lot better. The headache was gone, as was the exhaustion.After cleaning myself up for the second time that day, I returned to my bed with renewed determination. I will no longer allow the thought of Herbert Weston to affect me. I will not cry remembering the trauma he inflicted on me nor the distress he caused me—physically, mentally, and emotionally. I will be free from that bastard!With that, I settled myself to read some magazines Brenda had left for me, and it wasn’t long before lunch arrived. It was also around then that Andy appeared at the door again. With my mouth still full of food, I stared at him wide-eyed as he walked toward me.“Hey,” he said. “Feeling better?”I quickly swallowed my food and reached my arms out for him, begging for a great big hug again.Andy came over and took me into his arms as I wrapped mine around his torso.I chuckled as I raised my eyes to look at him. “I hope you’re not driving Matt crazy because you’re so worrie
MiaI was finally judged to be well enough to allow a proper shower by myself instead of the occasional sponge bath by the nurse, which, to be honest, was rather embarrassing to say the least. And of course, now that I didn’t have an IV line connected to me, it was even better.After retrieving a towel and the bathroom essentials that Savannah had considerately brought for me yesterday evening, I headed into the bathroom. I took my time brushing my teeth and cleaning myself thoroughly, and, of course, enjoying the warm water on my skin. By the time I was done, I smiled with glee at the fact that I now smelled like the Garden of Eden.After donning the undesirable hospital gown once again and putting on some night cream over my still lightly bruised face, I headed back out, humming to myself.“You sound like you’re having a fine time showering,” the night shift nurse, Laura, said, chuckling.“Hello there. Yes, it’s the first time in five days I’ve showered, so…”Laura nodded. “I can un
MiaThe day had been long and exhausting for me, especially after James, Aria, and I had started that lunch with Liam, Scott, Eric, Alice, and Yuki. Then, of course, once we were done with that, Liam had suggested we stay for dinner as well since Alice, Yuki, Aria, and I seemed to get along so well. He had said that the sisters needed company near their ages, someone they felt comfortable with, since America was so new and different to them. Of course, I had fun spending time with the sisters, but I must say both Scott and Eric—well, mostly Eric—had behaved poorly, a side of them I had not seen before.Boy, was I glad we were finally home. After helping Aria bathe and dress, I lay beside her—along with Sammy and Alfie, who were being very nice and obedient, snuggling comfortably near Aria—reading them a bedtime story. When I finished the book, I tucked Aria in.I was about to kiss her good night when Aria asked, “Mia? Do you love Daddy?”That took me by surprise, and I blushed intense
MiaWilliam arrived to pick up Savannah at eleven that morning for their return flight to Vegas.After Savannah and I had hugged tightly, Savannah said, “You have to come to Vegas again soon.”Beside me, Aria was excited. “We can ask Daddy. He did promise to take me there soon.” She turned to her father standing not too far away. “Isn’t that right, Daddy?”James nodded. “Yes, sweetheart.”Once William and Savannah departed, James, Aria, and I went to have lunch with Liam, Scott, and Eric at the main house. Of course, I had no idea this was happening until this morning after breakfast when James happened to just casually mention it. And to be honest, I wasn’t exactly prepared for it. Wasn’t it like my boyfriend taking me to meet his parents for the first time? Which freaked most girls out because they had to give a good first impression. But then again, what was there for me to prepare for? I had already met Liam last night, after all.Aria seemed excited to see her grandfather again,
JamesThe moment their father appeared at the door, James knew for a fact that Eric wasn’t happy. He knew also that, soon, the youngest brother would bring up the subject of their father’s future young bride and demand details. Of course, James had no idea why Eric was so riled up about something this trivial. After all, their father was very popular with the opposite sex, regardless of age, and for him to tie the knot again, with a twenty-five-year-old woman at that, wasn’t all that surprising.Currently, they were drinking, nibbling, and chatting about various topics—social and business. They even talked about Herbert Weston and the Mexican mafia, which didn’t much interest James. To him, what was done was done. Of course, what really interested James was Mia.Fuck! He wanted to kiss her and make passionate love to her, but alas, he obviously couldn’t do that until everyone left.It was around midnight when Eric finally brought up the much-anticipated subject. Of course, James was q
MiaI dismissed the thought of my brother and Matt from my mind and headed into the bathroom to shower. When I was done, dressed in a lovely loose, long-sleeved blouse and trousers, my makeup lightly done, since my bruised skin was still too sensitive, I headed out the door.I found Savannah sitting on my bed, waiting for me.“Hey,” I said. “Sorry, I think I might have overslept a little.”Savannah chuckled. “No worries. I did that this morning as well. I was so tired.”I nodded. Of course, her having found out about my kidnapping had really scared her, and the whole situation must have exhausted her. Now that I was safe and sound, everything had just kind of caught up to her. I didn’t miss the dark circles under her eyes, either.I was so moved by the fact that she had been so good to me, especially since we had only been friends for a short time, that I gave her a tight hug again. “Thank you for coming all the way here and helping out.”“It’s fine, Mia,” Savannah said. “You’re my fr
MiaThe next day, I was finally discharged from the hospital, and James, with Andy tagging along, came to pick me up that afternoon. Of course, both men watched over me like mother hens as I slipped out of bed and began to get myself ready.I was just reaching out for the luggage to start packing when Andy said, “I’ll do that for you. You go and get changed.”I nodded and headed into the bathroom, a dress in my hand.While Andy packed my stuff into the bag Savannah had brought for me, James was in the bathroom, aiding me with getting dressed since my movement was slow. Of course, I didn’t mind the fact that I was half naked in front of him, in just undies and bra and my bare skin marked with dark bruises everywhere. After all, he had seen me naked last night when he was making love to me, albeit under the dimness of the wall light.“Raise your arms,” he instructed as if I were his daughter. I thought he was being very parental toward me.I smiled as I obeyed him, raising my arms high
MiaI was finally judged to be well enough to allow a proper shower by myself instead of the occasional sponge bath by the nurse, which, to be honest, was rather embarrassing to say the least. And of course, now that I didn’t have an IV line connected to me, it was even better.After retrieving a towel and the bathroom essentials that Savannah had considerately brought for me yesterday evening, I headed into the bathroom. I took my time brushing my teeth and cleaning myself thoroughly, and, of course, enjoying the warm water on my skin. By the time I was done, I smiled with glee at the fact that I now smelled like the Garden of Eden.After donning the undesirable hospital gown once again and putting on some night cream over my still lightly bruised face, I headed back out, humming to myself.“You sound like you’re having a fine time showering,” the night shift nurse, Laura, said, chuckling.“Hello there. Yes, it’s the first time in five days I’ve showered, so…”Laura nodded. “I can un
MiaWhen I woke again, I felt a lot better. The headache was gone, as was the exhaustion.After cleaning myself up for the second time that day, I returned to my bed with renewed determination. I will no longer allow the thought of Herbert Weston to affect me. I will not cry remembering the trauma he inflicted on me nor the distress he caused me—physically, mentally, and emotionally. I will be free from that bastard!With that, I settled myself to read some magazines Brenda had left for me, and it wasn’t long before lunch arrived. It was also around then that Andy appeared at the door again. With my mouth still full of food, I stared at him wide-eyed as he walked toward me.“Hey,” he said. “Feeling better?”I quickly swallowed my food and reached my arms out for him, begging for a great big hug again.Andy came over and took me into his arms as I wrapped mine around his torso.I chuckled as I raised my eyes to look at him. “I hope you’re not driving Matt crazy because you’re so worrie
MiaWhen I woke, my hands were resting on the empty space on the side of my bed, and I wondered why it felt so warm, as if someone had been there only moments before. I shifted my body and then inhaled deeply. The scent that was unique to James caressed my nostrils, and I smiled.He had been here, hadn’t he? Sleeping next to me. My heart soared at the thought, though at the same time, I was a little disappointed that he didn’t wake me when he had arrived. We could have had a little chat and kiss.“Good morning.” A nurse I didn’t recognize greeted me as she came into the room. “How are you feeling this morning, love?”I gave her a bright smile, my lips and mouth a little sore in the process. Obviously, my wounds had not yet healed properly. “I’m good. A little pain, but it’s fine.”“That’s good,” she said, grinning brightly. Then she came over to stand at the end of the bed and picked up my medical record. She quickly scanned over the documents, and a moment later, looking rather satis
JamesWhen James came in through the door after a long day at the office and headed toward Mia’s bed in the hospital that night, he found her deep in slumber. Standing by her side, he gazed at her long and hard, noting the bruises on her beautiful face. Fuck! He wanted those unsightly marks gone as soon as possible. The sight of them reminded him of Herbert Weston and what the bastard had done to Mia, and once again, he felt rage erupting in his being.For perhaps the hundredth time, he swore nothing like that would ever happen to Mia again. He’d protect her. He’d cherish her.For now, she looked peaceful in her sleep, but he knew it wouldn’t last long. Soon, it would start, the nightmare, as it had the past three nights. She’d start crying and screaming and begging in her sleep as that terrifying episode of her kidnapping returned to haunt her. She’d scream for Herbert Weston to let her go. She’d beg for him to stop hurting her, and fuck, but the sheer fear and panic in her voice bro